Critical thinking skills of students in secondary education institution and effective factors of critical thinking skills

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to determine the levels of critical thinking powers ofthe ninth grade students studying in Secondary Education institutions in Bitlis andthat the factors affecting the skills which constitute the levels of critical thinkingpowers.This study in the form of scanning model has been carried out by the dataobtained from 153 students studying in ninth grade in Bitlis high schools such asBitlis Beş Minare High School, Selahattin Eyyubi Private High School, BitlisAnatolian High School and Bitlis Anatolian High School for Teachers in theeducational year of 2004-2005. The data used in this study have been collected withthe ?Personal Information Form? prepared for determining students? personalinformation and ?Scale for Critical Thinking Skills? prepared by the researcherconsidering the critical thinking skills.In the analysis of the data obtained in the study the program calledSPSS(Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for Windows 10 has been used. Inthe analysis of the data for the comparison of dual groups Independent Intergroups?t? test and for the comparisons of groups more than two one-way Variance Analysis(ONE-WAY ANOVA) have been used. In case ?F? test statistics obtained in theconsequence of variance analysis has been found meaningful, TUKEY test has beengiven to determine which group the difference takes its source from.At the end of the study it has been stated that the levels of students? criticalthinking powers vary from school to school and their levels have been affected byactivities like reading books and newspapers.Key words : Thinking, critical thinking, secondary education, creativethinking.